Silo.



w. CRAINE.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1916.

Patented J an. 16; 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. CRAINE.

SILO.

APPLICATION FILED mm 1. I916.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

2 SHEETS-6H5 2.

WYTNESSES ATTORNEY WILLIAM CRAI-NE, OF, BROOKFIELZD, NEW YORK.

SILO.

Specification of Iietterslatent.

Patented Jan. in, 1911?,

Application filed June 1, 1916. Serial No.101,192.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'L WrnunM CRAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookfield, in the county of Madison and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Silo, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to silos, and its object is to provide a means whereby silos may be readily repaired when damaged to produce a structure which may be even superior to the original structure.

In accordance with the present invention it is considered that the original silo is constructed ot" upright staves with exterior hoops, and as there are other structures so constructed, such as tanks, storage bins, and the like, the term silo is to be understood as" covering not only such structures as are specifically known as silos, but other buildings or receptacles of like construction usettul for similar purposes.

In accordance with the present invention the silo to be repaired and reinforced has the outer hoops removed, and in place thereof an outer covering is applied, such covering being in the form of a sheathing made up of hoops each composed ofasuitable num-v ber of segments joined end toend by connecting plates, the hoops being of wood,'each with one long edge grooved and the other long edge in the form of a continuous tongue. The connecting plates are made long enough to overlap more than one upright stave of the original body of the silo, the length of the connecting plate being suflicient to strongly connect the abutting ends of the hoop segments. Moreover, each connecting plate is shaped along one edge to conform to the tongue portion of the hoop, so as to enter the groove of the next succeeding hoop.

Since silos are provided with upright door openings the hoops even when the segments are joined together are incomplete circumferentially by a distance equal to the vidth of the door opening, and such door opening is spanned by connecting strips with divergent ends long enough to include a plurality of staves, preferably about four staves, with the free ends separated in the direction of the height of the silo, so that the connecting strips bridging the door opening may be placed apart appropriate distances to serve as ladder rungs, and then the free ends of the divergent terminal portions will be closely approximate. At the top and bottom other connecting strips are employed each of a length about that of the first-named. connecting strips, but the ends are not made divergent. The hoops and connecting plates are secured to the staves by nails which may be all of the same length and sullicient to traverse the plates and hoops and enter the staves to an extent firmly connecting the hoops with the staves. The connecting strips are secured exterior to the hoops by bolts traversing both the hoops and the staves.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings z- -F igure 1 is an elevation of a silo built or repaired'in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. l,

but withthe section staggered in' accordance with the staggering of the bolts traversing the top connecting strip through which the section is taken. Fig. 3 is an upright detail sect-ion through one of the stares and some of the hoops, the section taking in two connecting plates on two hoops separated by an intermediate hoop where the section does not traverse a connecting plate.

Reterrlng to the drawings there 1s shown a silo body made up of upright staves 1 placed edge to edge. Ordinarily these staves are held in place by suitable exterior hoops usually of metal, but in repairing the silo such metal hoops are removed, and as the ..drawings show a repaired 5110 the ordinary hoops are not 1nd1cated. The staves 1 are alaced ed e to ed e as is customar I in silos tanks, storage bins and the like, and are exteriorly covered by a layer 2 of felt composition or the like.

Surrounding the layer 2 are hoops 3 each. made up of a plurality of segments placed end to end and connected by plates t usually of galvanized iron, although such particular material is not obligatory. Each hoop segdation 8 which may be of concrete or other material, and the hoops 3 are placed successively on the staves beginning at the bottom and proceeding toward the top of the silo.

The hoops are connected to the staves by nails 9 which may be all of the same length and long enough to traverse a hoop and enter suliiciently into a stave to firmly connect the two. The nails traverse the plates 4. wherever the latter are present, such plates being suitably pierced tor the passage of the nails. The hoops, therefore, where covered by the plates are united end to end by the plates, and the plates and adjacent ends of the hoops are connected to the staves by the same nails which secure the plates to the staves. Each plate 4; is of a length greater than the width of a stave, and is sufiiciently long to strongly connect the abutting ends of the hoop segments. In this way each plate will span at least two hoops and may span one stave and appropriate portions of two neighboring staves.

The silo is provided with a door opening 10, as is customary, and such opening is provided with doors 11 also a customary practice. The hoops are composed of a suitable number of segments united end to end by the plates 4 and are shaped to encircle the silo except at the door opening 10, the circumferential continuity of the hoops being broken at such point, but the ends of the hoops'where stopping at the door opening are secured to the appropriate staves by suitable nails 9.

The hoops 3 are arranged to completely sheaths the silo, except at the door opening with each hoop at the bottom overlapping the next lower hoop because the tongue 6 of the lower hoop is seated in the groove 5 of the next higher hoop.

The staves are all exteriorly covered and intimately united by the hoops nailed thereto and the hoop segments are securely oined by the connecting plates 4. The top and bottom hoops though sectional are made circumferentially continuous, these hoops being indicated at 3 and 3 respectively, so that the hoops themselves bridge the door opening. Applied to each hoop 3 and 3 is a connecting strip 12 extending along the hoop across the space corresponding to the door opening, to each side of the door opening for a distance equal to a plurality of stares, preferably for a distance equal to the combined width of four stares on each side of the door opening. The strips 3" and S are secured to the silo body by bolts 13 extending through the strips, through the corresponding hoop and through the respective staves, so that the top and bottom portions of the silo structure are lirmly united and securely braced against expansion by the strips 8 and 3 held in place by the securing bolts 18, which bolts are staggered circumferentially of the silo to avoid. liability of weakening the parts they traverse.

In order to prevent spreadingof the silo at the door opening, transverse connecting strips 14: are provided, and these strips, which are made of metal as are also the strips 12, have the end portions longitudinally split, thereby forming divergent terminal members or forks 15 each oi which in the particular structure shown are half the width of the main body of the strip 11-. The diverging or forked terminal. portions 15 are secured to the body of the silo by bolts 16 traversing the respective hoops 3 over which they lie and the staves interior to the hoops. The terminal portions 15 are each of a length to extend over the exterior of the silo on each side of the door opening for a distance corresponding to the similar arrangement of the strips 12, that is, the divergent terminal portions 15 each extend over about four staves. The connecting strips 14 are arranged in upright series and spaced apart along the door opening at distances permitting the use of the strips as ladder rungs, whereby access may be had readily to the top of the silo. The strips, therefore, serve both as connecting strips for the body of the silo on opposite sides of the door opening and as ladder rungs. The divergent portions 15 of the strips it have a' spread so that with the strips 14 spaced apart in the direction of the height of the silo to permit their use as ladder rungs, the

terminals of the divergent extremities 15 will be closely adjacent. The strips 14 and their terminal portions 15 therefore not only prevent spreading of the silo at the door opening, but serve as braces strengthening the silo by their divergence on each side of the door opening, and covering an area whereby there is no danger of bringing undue strain upon any closely adjacent parts of the structure.

The hoops although each made of numerous segments are so united by the plates 4, and the door opening is so braced by the bridging or connecting strips 14- and their divergent terminal portions 15 that slipping or opening of the joints due to the great stresses and strains exerted on the silo by the swelling of the walls or the weight of the interior contents, or a combination of both, are avoided, While the structure permits the use of a minimum amount of material Without sacrifice of strength of the outside Wall or shell, and, furthermore, adapting the invention particularly for the covering of old silos or other like buildings, whereby the solidity and strength of the building is preserved. Particularly is this true of the door section or other openings,

The hoops may be made of as many segments or pieces of varying length as may be needed, yet they are joined together securely in such manner as to be of substantially equal strength throughout and capable of withstanding the unequal pressure of "different sized structures With varying contents. The cost of construction is reduced to a minimum because but one layer of lumber is necessary for the hoops.

The invention is of great advantage in the reconstruction and covering of old silos and other structures of the iron-hooped type. The strength of the structure is not only materially increased, but the body of the silo is thoroughly protected from the action of the elements.

What is claimed is 1. In a building having an inner Wall embodying a plurality of upright staves arranged edge to' edge, an outer covering in the form of separate transversely divided hoops surrounding the staves closely at right angles to the staves and securely fastened thereto, each hoop comprising a plurality of individual strips or segments of single thickness arranged end to end, and metallic fastening plates each of a breadth corresponding to that of a hoop and of a length to overlap and strongly connect the adjacent ends of the hoop segments, said plates being securely fastened to and connecting the ends of the hoop segments together, each hoop having one long edge grooved and the other in the form of a tongue with the tongue edges of the hoops seated in the groovesof the neighboring hoops, and each plate being longitudinally bent to fit the tongue edge of the hoop and enter the groove of the neXt hoop in order.

2. In a building having an inner Wall of upright staves with their upright edges in contact and having an upright door opening, an outer covering of separate Wooden hoops of single thickness with their long edges in contact, each hoop comprising a plurality of segments and connecting plates joining the segments with the hoops stopping at the door opening and said hoops and their connecting plates being securely fastened to the staves, and metallic strips extending across the door opening and beyond said door opening having their terminal portions longitudinally divided and divergent, the divergence of the terminal portions of the strips beginning closely adjacent to the door opening, and said divergent terminal portions spanning a plurality of hoops and longer than the combined Width of a plurality of staves, and fastening devices extending through the strips on opposite sides of the door opening and through the hoops and staves.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM CRAINE.

Witnesses:

CASPER G. KNIGHT, GEORGE WHITE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 1). 0. 

